Seaming-guide device



C. A. DIX

SEAMING GUIDE DEVICE Filed May 14, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (am A, M

IN'VCIDITE! AEINCY W T May 1, ig28.

1,668,055 0. A. DIX

SEAMING GUIDE DEVICE me M y 14 s Sheets$heet P (LAN A. a

INVENTEJ 4 Afr NEIY May 1, 1928. 1,668,055

c. A. DIX

SEAMING GUIDE DEVICE Filed May 4, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEI'NTDPatented May 1, 1928.

1,668,055 PATENT oFFica.

CLARENCE a. mx, or rosroma', 01110, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT Ann MESNEASSIGN- MENTS,. TO THE YODER' COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATIONOHIO.

SEAMING-GUIDE DEVICE.

Application filed May 14, 1923. Serial No. 638,8831

This invention relates to a machine for seaming or uniting, by bendingtogether, the edges of sheet netal. v a

This invention has utility ineiiecting seaming of sheet steel, as inassembling rims or shirts with tenders "for the whet-is 01? motorvehicles. I

Reitcrring to the drawings:

Fig. 1- is a side elevation of an enihodiment of the invention in a.seaming machine,

as adapted for motor vehicle fender seaming, and similar sheet metalseainingoperations; y

Fig.2 is a detail View showing the feed directing guide rolls in workingposition, as distinguished from theopen or ii'ioperative position of theshowing in Fig-L 1; I

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine ofFig.1;and.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the invention as adapted to anarrowthroatseainingr machine, in contradistinction to the "wide throatmachine of Fig. l and l Fig. 5 is a cross-scctional'view ot' thecompleted seamQ l v The; main machine frame 1 is shown as upstanding toprovide a wide throat 2 having an overhanging arm 3 and uprising bracket4. A continuously running belt 5 serves through pulley 6 when connectedby a clutch 7 to operate the seaming machine gearing 8 for driving upperscanning roller 9 and simultaneously rotating the opposing or lowerseaming rollerlt). 'lheseaming roller 10' is carried hy'the bracket :4.and the latter is suitably adjusted by hand wheel 11 for properlylocating this roller 10 relative to" the seamingroller 9 carried. by thearm 3..

Treadle 12 adjacent the operators station at the wheel 11 may hedepresscd to throw in the clutch 7 for effecting driving operation ofthe seaming rollers 9, 10, in their adjusted coacting relation forrolling interlocking flanges along orprovided on adjacent edgesot sheetmetal stock into snug holding relationa Instead of operating the(BhItCltfl'Olll the treadle 12, the clutch 7 may be controlled from asuitable handle 13. V

In the carrying out of seaming operations, especially with such stifi'material .as sheet steel, and with the edges'to bejoined, initiallyhaving normally dissimilar courses of extent, due to the specialconfiguration of one or the other, or of both sheets or parts to bejoined, there is a great time and labor pin33 coacting with slot 34 andpin consuming factor in arranging the two sheets and directing them sothat the seaming may be accurate and the travel continuous. Asianetl'ective n'actical-solution of this ditficultv controllable positivez-mti-friction directiii means are provided herein. This coursh maypermit even with large heavv skirted trout fenders, a starting of thestain and continuous progress. thus avoiding the delayot' initiallywedge blocking, slow hand directing between the blocks, with stops'tolillOCh' out the blocks. In instances where it is desired to work thestock through the-111a chine either way, the attachment as hereindisclosed may be a complete unit installed onealpon each side of themachine.

Rising from the base of-t-he niaiii machine frame 1 is a bracket 14' inwhich disposed at treadle 15. Depressing the treadle, 1:3 throws theseam directing attachment or dcvice of' this disclosure" into operativeposition'. 11 1-61 the trhadle l5 u wardlv ex tends link 17 to lever18.This love-r18carr es pin 19 coacting with slot 2Q, and carries pin 21cioact-ing with slot 22'. These! slots 20. 22, are formed in ablock 23,which block 23 has a third-slot 24 Coacting with the slot 1 24is pin25,which together with the pin 21 are fixed in the bracket 4 and servetodirect the block as shifted by the lever 18. Set screw in auxiliarybracket 27 serves to permit vertical adjustment of guide roller 27'having lower tapering flange or shroud 28. 'The bracket 27 is adjustedby bolts 29 in its relation to the block 251. As the trcadle 15niovcsfdownwardly, pulling the link. 1'? and swinging the lever 18 onits tixed fulcrum 21, theblock 23 is shifted toward the throat Qwitlithe pi n 1 9 riding; into loching portion .30 of the slot 20, thusetiecting a positive holding of the sheet metal edge directing guide217' F roni the treadlc l5, oppositely movable si1nulta-neonslyiwith thelink 17, is bent link 31 of a. configuration for clearing the throat- 2;This link oi extends; to lcvcr 32 having- 35 coacting with slot 36 inshittahle block This block 37has a third slot 38 with which coacts pin39. The pins 33, 39, serve to mount the block 37 on the arm 3.1 Thelever 32 i s of the first class. while the lever 18 is of thesecondclass. The block 37 has adjust ably mounted thereon auxiliarybracket 40,

in which is adjustably mounted stein 41 guide roller -12 having a flangeor slight shroud 43 on the thereof remote from its companion guiderollthe guide roller 2T positely er shroud 28. The guide shrouds orflanges 28, -ft3 serve to direct the traveling sheet stock into thefirmly positioning smaller diameter guides proper 2T, 42. As the link 31is moved upwardly, the block 37 is shifted to carry the guide 42 towardthe guide 27, the fulcrum pin 33 riding in the slot 3t to lockingportion 4a, while simultaneously the pin 39 rides in the slot 38 intolocking portion 45. Accordingly the block 37 with its guide roller isautomatically locked in. sheet metal stock directing posit-ion when thetreadle 15 is depressed. and at the same time has been shifted closerand its supporting block 93 locked. It is not'necessary tor the operatorto maintain a foot on the treadle 15, even though the stock being seamedotters considerable resistance to being directed or warped about toconform to the curve variations in the separate sheets.

\Vhen the seaming operation is completed,

or it for other cause, it is desired to releasethe directing guidedevice, it is only necessary that the operator depress the treadle 15.This gives a downward pull on the link 31 and an upward thrust to the.link 17. The guide rollers 42, 27', at once shift away from each otherto release the stock, or open up for receiving stock. Inasmuch as theelements of the attachment device are alike on their opposite sides,there is no occasion to work up for rights and letts in adapting theattachment for either of both sides of a seaming machine.

This same operative arrangement may be adapted to a narrow throatseaming machine of the type illustrated in Fig. 4. A machine frame 46,with a narrow throat- 47 is equipped with an adjustable link 48 extending upwardly from treadle 15 for (fODDBCtlOIl by pin 49 to lever 49'having pin 49" shittable in slot 50 to lm'zking portion 51 there to holdblock 52 carrying the lower guide roller :27. This block 52 hasadditional slots 53, 54, respectively coact-ing with pins 55, 56, fixedin the machine frame 46, which serve positively to direct the blockinits shifting to draw the guide 27 into position toward the throat 47for firmly holding the sheet stock as antitrictionally directed to theseaming rollers 9, 10. The lever 49 has the pin 55 as its fulcrum.

Simultaneously with the throwing of this guide 27', the upper opposingguide 42 is op thrown. From the pin 49 extends link 57 of U-form toclear thethroat 47. This link 57 has pivot 58 as a connection to lever59. As the pin 49 descends, the link descends to swing downward the pin58 and rock the lever 59 on fulcrum 6O fixed in the upper overhangingarm of the frame 46. The free or forward end of this lever 59 has pin(30 which as the lever 59 rocks, swings shittable block 63, carrying theupper guide roller 12 into positively locked position adjacent theroller 27'. The block 63 has slots 64, 65, with which respectively coactpins 60, 67, for mounting the block 63 to move relatively to the arm60'. Adjustable mounting means 68, 69, are provided for the guides 27,42, permitting ready adjustment relative to the blocks 52, and 63respectively, ment.

- Due to the great working strain placed upon the guides as hereindisclosed, it is important that the travel of the guide or guides forthe distance determined to bring the stock into proper directingrelation for the seaming be positive, and once the guide is in suchproper holding position, during the continuation of such seaming, itsposition" must be maintained. The simple linkages herein eliect theshiftings, while the selt-- locking slot 'ottsets insure the holdingduring operation.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A guide mechanism for sheet material seaming rolls embodying amanually controllable member, a pair of guides oppositely of thematerial as directed to the seaming rolls, a shiftable control block foreach guide having self-locking means to maintain the guides in operativeposition, and linkage from the blocks to the member for controlling theshifting of the blocks into and out of self locking position. r

'2. A guidemechanism for sheet material seamin rolls embodying amanually controllab e member, a pair of guides oppositely of thematerial as directed to the seaming rolls, a shiftable control block foreach guide, each block having a plurality of guide ways for shifting andcontrolling said block, one oi said ways terminally locking the blockagainst shifting of the guides, and linkage from each block control wayto said member for effecting movement of the guides.

3. In a seaming mechanism. the combination of a pair of relativelystationary rolls co -operable to seam sheet metal sections together, andmeans for guiding the sheet metal sections to said seaming rolls, saidmeans comprising a manually controllable member, a guide roller at oneside of the seaming rolls, a movable block carrying the roller, saidblock having directing and control ways, and operating connections fromthe member includin a lever coacting with a control way of time blockfor effecting movement of said block.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

- CLARENCE A. DIX.

or replace-

